Cutting the Strings
by clairethegeek
Summary: By the time she was fifteen, there wasn't a doubt in anyones mind she would grow up to achieve great things. She might have even had a perfect life...had it not been for the surgery. Riddler/OC, DARK THEMES. Previously in the Batman: Arkham Asylum category. Rating may go up.
1. Prologue

**Cutting the Strings  
****  
**

**Prologue I**

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Marie Louise Aldrich had the world at her fingertips.

She had been born into money, and from a very young age could have anything she ever wanted. But she was raised not to ask for it, and so she didn't. When Marie needed something she would politely request the family's staff to purchase it the next time they were out, and would contribute her own earned money for whatever she desired.

Marie lived on an estate in the palisades, one that had been in the family for five generations. The staff had remained loyal, and each son had married rich and remained there to carry on the lineage. It was typical behavior of the upper class of Gotham, and completely expected of each Aldrich son.

Her father, Royce Aldrich, had been raised on the estate. His family's wealth had allowed him to go to Ivy League schools, and he was a brilliant doctor. Marie's mother Emily had worked at a coffee shop Royce had gone to while in medical school. They had fallen in love almost immediately, and Emily had adjusted to the upper class well. She had always charmed people and her motherly personality had never faded.

When Royce's parents retired to an island in the Bahamas, Emily and Royce had moved in to the Aldrich Estate together. Their first son was a boy, Damian Heath Aldrich. Four years later they gave birth to Marie Louise.

Along with her lucky parentage, she had genes that would make several people shiver in envy. Long blonde hair framed a delicate face, so breakable you would be afraid to touch it. Rosy lips and soft grey eyes made it easy to be jealous of or desire, even from a young age. Marie had also inherited her mother's musical talent, and was able to afford only the best piano teachers in all of Gotham City. As a result she quickly grew into a talented piano player and often performed at elaborate dinners for Gotham's upper class.

All this was happening when she was thirteen years old. By the time she was fifteen, there wasn't a doubt in anyones mind she would grow up to achieve great things. She might have become a doctor like her father She might have married rich like her mother. She might have become a world famous piano player and earned thousands playing a night.

She might have had a perfect life...

...had it not been for the surgery.

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**Prologue II**

"Doctor?" a small timid voice broke the silence of the room. Bright fluorescent lights glowed above nine people, each sitting at a comfortable chair around a circular table. Papers littered every available surface, along with experimental wires and charts of the human body.

The other eight turned to face him. He was a small man with a soft voice, and he used it to his advantage when he wanted to get anyones attention.

"Yes, William?" an older man asked. The older man had silvery blonde hair, with light grey eyes and a stern look on his face. He looked down at the smaller doctor, who squeaked out,

"I...don't see...how this...helps anything."

"What?"

The younger man, knowing he angered him, defended himself quickly.

"It's just-doing this to someone really changes them. People will change. Humanity will change. She'll be half robot. She'll be-"

"A living marionette." the older man finished.

"Dr. Aldrich." a women spoke up, strong and unaltered. "This experiment could go wrong. There are just too many risks, and the cost of this is...it's just not worth it."

Dr. Aldrich turned to her, a livid look on his handsome face. He slammed his fist on the table.

"_Y__ou think I care about money_? _You think that's an honest issue_?" he roared. As he leered his face closer to her, the woman flinched away, blinking back tears. His voice was on the edge of hysterics.

"No, Doct-"

"MY DAUGHTER IS DYING!" he screamed. "AND YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT MONEY?" _  
_

"Dr. Aldrich, no-"

"SHE HAS WEEKS LEFT! _WEEKS_!"

"DOCTOR!" the women finally screamed back. "WE ARE NOT YOUR _ENEMY_!"

He breathed heavily for a moment, and he put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples furiously. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, but finally the silence was broken.

"Tell us what you need, Royce. We'll do it for you."

The voice came from James Morrison, one of his oldest friends. Royce looked up at him, his face so pale it matched his white lab coat.

"She has a disease in her chest." he said simply. "I don't know what it is. I've had doctors flown in from all over the world, even I've looked at it, but I can't identify it with anything." he grabbed a chart from the table. "As you can see, her weight is decreasing, and she's given up piano. She won't touch it." his voice broke, and a women sitting beside him grabbed his hand.

Royce breathed out a shaky breath before starting again.

"Her mother doesn't know. And neither does her brother. But...she has an idea. I couldn't tell her she was dying." his voice was barely above a whisper, but it was steady.

"I need you to save her." he finished simply. The others didn't move for a moment, until finally one grabbed a chart and began looking over it, pen at the ready. For several hours, nothing filled the air except the sounds of shuffling papers and the occasional dispute or discussion between the nine.

* * *

**Prologue III**

"Look Dad!"

A shout caused a man with a beer gut to groan angrily, but he didn't move from his spot at the TV. He watched half-interestedly as a news reporter went on about two billionaires being shot in an alley.

"DAD!" the voice was louder now, and he turned to face his son.

The two looked nothing like each other. The older man was balding, covered in grease, and too big for his armchair. His offspring was thin and tall for his age with hair the color of a fox's fur. His bright blue eyes were covered with glasses that were too large for his face.

"A's." he said happily, laying the paper down on his lap. His father looked at the paper and grunted, neither approval or disgust. The younger man took it as a compliment, which caused him to lay another object on his lap.

A Rubix Cube. Solved, and beside it twenty dollars.

"I won." he said gleefully. His excitement could not be contained, so he bounced up and down as he waited for a sign of pride. He waited for what felt like hours, until he felt a drop in his stomach. His father wasn't proud.

"You cheated." he slurred out, the can of bear in his hand going to the table beside him.

"What-no-"

"Of course you did, Ed. You're a moron." he said it simply, as if it were obvious and 'Ed' was too stupid to figure it out. His son tried to scurry away, but his fathers hand caught the back of his flannel shirt.

The boy heard the sound of his cube hitting the floor, and the flutter of the paper. It was suddenly too silent, all except for the sound of a pizza commercial.

"_Now, for just 4.99, an entire cheese pizza with four drinks!_"

Edward shook, and his father rose from his chair. His heart stopped and dropped to his stomach. He silently offered a prayer to the god his mother had talked about at night, one that she said would protect him.

"I'm not a moron, Daddy." he almost sobbed. "I'm not."

"What?" he snapped.

"I'm not a moron." he said, stronger this time.

His father shook with rage, and Edward anticipated the pain to come. It always came soon after he disagreed with him.

A fist landed in his stomach, and he doubled over, sobbing on the floor.

"_ADMIT IT YOU MORON!_" he shouted at him.

"I...am...not. A. Moron." Edward choked out, clutching at his abdomen.

"PROVE YOUR POINT!" his father screamed. "YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING IN YOUR LIFETIME!"

He took his words to heart. The second he went back to watching his show, and Edward had crawled away, he went to his room and began to think. His father's words echoed in his head, which caused him to shake in terror.

Moron.

He wasn't a moron. He was smarter than most of the kids in his class. Choking back a sob, he turned to burrow into the covers. They were already encrusted with his tears from too many nights of crying.

Edward sat up suddenly and ran to his bookshelf. He pulled out one of his detective books and began to read, focusing on the words harder than ever before.

He _would_ show him.

Edward would show the whole damn world.


	2. Firsts

**Hey everyone! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! **

**Alright, so here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. I'll try to update more frequently. I apologize. **

**Sigh. I don't own Batman.**

* * *

**Summer-1998**

"Shall be lifted-nevermore!"

Marie laid on the floor of her bedroom, listening with her lids shut to her boyfriend, Leo. He had his legs folded and his arms on his knees, holding up a book labeled '_The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe_.'

The clap of the book closing shut caused Marie to perk up, and her eyes flew open. She smiled at her significant other, rolled over onto her back and hoisted up to a seated position.

"Haunting..." she muttered, moving over to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

The silence wasn't awkward, but it was oddly comforting. A time for them both to think about the poem, and recollect their thoughts.

"Walk?" she asked him. He nodded, and they stood together to go outside. Leo admired the halls of the Aldrich Estate, as they were much like his own home. Artwork from all over the world lined the walls, pillars held up a gigantic roof, and large windows let in light that shone off glass tables and white furniture.

"_MOM_!" Marie shouted. "WE'RE GOING ON A WALK!"

Emily Aldrich appeared around the corner, a business suit donning her frame.

"Where are you going?" Marie asked.

"Meeting. Very boring stuff to you, I'm sure. Be safe, your father will be home by five." she smiled at her. Marie kissed her mothers cheek and almost floated back to her boyfriend, positively ecstatic.

They walked outside in the garden. Marie's mother had always been one for flowers, and so the gardeners had been paid well to accommodate the land. She linked Leo's hand in between her own as they walked.

"Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore'." Marie quoted. Leo shuddered, gripping her hand tighter.

They reached the edge of the estate, where a cliff overlooked Gotham City. Marie sat down on it, and Leo followed her. The sun shone brightly on it, creating a strange and different feel. Gotham had always been crime ridden, but it seemed different during the day.

"Marie?"

She turned to Leo; silver eyes meeting warm brown ones. He grabbed the back of her head, leaned in, and kissed her lips.

Marie shuddered at his touch, melting into him as if she were made of ice. He leaned out and grinned sheepishly at her, and she blushed.

"Would you like to-"?

"Again? Yes."

Later that night, Leo had gone home. Marie lay on her bed. She was wearing a low cut shirt, and it allowed her to see a suspicious bump on her chest, just below her neck bone. Tracing it carefully, she noticed that the veins there were a bluish hue.

"Marie?" a voice at her door moved her from her trance. Her father.

"Dad...can you look at this?" she asked, her voice shaking. Royce entered the room and noticed her fingers on her chest, and he looked down in concern.

"That's odd. How have you been feeling?"

"Normal. Same old."

He nodded, kissing the top of her head.

"You'll be fine, cupcake." he assured her. Marie's face relaxed, believing her father's every word. He gave her a once over, observing her t-shirt and jeans.

"How about a car ride?" he asked. Marie nodded enthusiastically, and she bounded out of her room, skipping down the steps. Her father kept up with her, and for her amusement she raced him to his car.

An hour later, they ate ice cream out of a tiny shop on the edge of the city. It was worth the drive every time, her father said, because it was the best in the world. Marie munched on her waffle cone while her father copied her. A vanilla mustache sat above her lips.

"Dad?" she asked. "H-how many times have you saved someone? Like, someone in the hospital."

"More than I can count." he laughed.

"So...you could save me? If...if this was more than-if this was...serious." she stuttered, motioning to her chest. His eyes dropped to his daughter's face, which was looking up at him with a frightened look. It caused him to put an arm around her shoulders, and he kissed her forehead.

"I would do everything in my power to save you." Royce assured her. "Everything and anything."

Marie shook, and she suddenly looked much younger than fifteen. Royce took off his coat (which was imported from Germany) and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Everything..." she choked out. A tear flew down her face. "I'm scared," she whispered finally.

Royce held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

"You're fine, cupcake."

The nickname brought a smile to her face, and she wiped away the tears.

"Thanks dad." she muttered into his shirt, closing out the world and forgetting everything else for a short moment. As he held her, Royce couldn't help but bite his lower lip in worry.

**-IX-**

"Edward Nashton."

As his name was called, a few polite claps went around the auditorium. Walking up to the stage, he looked at the faces of his school moderators for the past several years. God, he hated them. He smiled politely, taking his diploma and shaking the hand of the obese school principal before walking off the stage.

Edward sat back down, and Jack Napier poked his ribs.

"Eddie, man, you ready?"

"For what?" he asked, pursing his lips together patiently.

"The real world!" he held his hands out in front of him, making a picture and grinning at him.

"Don't you mean four years of College, and then my masters, and then likely a doctorate, and then the real world?" he asked. An identical smirk crossed his face.

"Man, you're so full of it." Jack said. He turned to the stage, giving his opinion on Vicki Vale with a long speech dedicated to girls who would get nowhere in life.

Edward sighed. Eventually, the Principal gave his closing speech. His voice was a steady drone, and it sounded like he had marbles in his throat. Finally, he announced the class of 1998, and Jack threw his cap at the football player three rows ahead of him before darting out of the auditorium. Edward followed quickly, eager to get out.

Finally, he reached his old Sedan, which still smelled like smoke. He threw off his graduation robe and adjusted his appearance in the mirror.

He couldn't help but run a hand through his hair, which had turned a darker auburn. While others were inside saying goodbyes, he started his ignition and prepared to back out of the high school forever.

Before he could back up, someone slipped into the front seat of his car.

"Get out." he growled, before looking over to see Diedre Vance.

She had long blonde hair that had streaks of purple in it, and her low green top made her hard to ignore for someone like Edward, who had never even kissed a girl. 'Deedee' had always been polite to him, but for some reason he had shut her out.

But he shut everyone out; he had done it since middle school, when he realized that people were just pretentious assholes. Every single person. And they were dumb, compared to him. But Diedre, or Deedee, was smart. He had driven her home before, just to be polite. It was on his way over to the library, where he practically lived since he could drive.

"What? Scared to talk?" she asked. Her voice pulled him out of his trance. He sighed patiently before turning to her.

"Get out. Please. I just want to get out of here."

"Oh, so do I! Give me a ride?" she winked at him. Oh, that's right...she was the badass. The one who took risks. The smart, badass, flirty Deedee. She could've been a Super villain in another world.

Edward pulled out of the parking lot and set on driving into the city. Deedee set on adjusting the radio so that a good song was playing, and the god-awful speakers played almost clear music.

"So, Ed."

"Eddie. Or Edward. Not Ed." he reminded her. She shrugged.

"Alright. Listen, you're going to Gotham University, right?"

"Yes." he groaned.

"Fan-freaking-tastic!" she chided. "Guess where I'm going to school?"

"Gotham Uni-"

"GOTHAM UNIVERSITY!" she finished. Deedee roared with laughter, letting her blonde hair flow out behind her.

"I've flipping out, Eddie. You have no freaking idea!" she giggled. "I'm going to major, well, it's called Computer Support Specialist. Fixing, hacking, and dealing with computers. Holla!" she held up her hand, to which Edward pursed his lips and kept his eyes on the road.

Three more blocks. Just three more blocks.

"Alright, what are you majoring in?"

"Forensics. I'm going to be a detective." he put it on simple terms for her, because 'Forensic Analyst' wouldn't sound as cool to her.

"SERIOUSLY?" she exclaimed. "THAT'S SO COOL!" her bubbly attitude was sickening to be around. Finally, they reached her apartment. Deedee turned to him, and without a doubt in her mind, reached forward and kissed him on the lips.

He didn't know what to do, so he remained frozen. Her hands wound their way into his hair and he hesitantly put one on her back.

It was nowhere near romantic, but it was certainly unforgettable.

"See you, Eddie." she winked at him before climbing out of the car, dragging her messenger bag behind her.

Eddie waved, and he drove away. He hesitantly smiled, as it seemed the right thing to do. That had made his week. His month. His year. He even managed to find himself singing along to the radio.

"_It's something unpredictable_..." he sang quietly, laughing at himself. "_But in the end it's right._.._I hope you had the time of your life_..." he sang finally, roaring with laughter. Eddie chuckled to himself, pressing a little faster on the gas, happy to finally be free.

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**Alright, so there it is. Enjoyed it? I hope so. Thanks again for the reviews! **


	3. Changes

**-IX-**

**Summer, 1998**

"It's getting worse."

Royce didn't disagree with her. He watched in pain as the disease had spread, covering below her neck all the way across to her shoulders. Of course he examined it, and he had doctors flown in from all over the world to. But they couldn't identify it with anything.

They were in the car, driving into the city. When they drove by the hospital, Marie gave him a look.

"You missed it."

"We're not going there." he said simply.

"What-why?"

"Because a group of friends and I are going to preform the surgery. It's going to help you, and it's much easier this way."

"What-what'll it do?"

"Save your life." he answered simply. "Please, Marie, I don't want you knowing much about it. If something goes wrong, and they question you-" he paused, shook his head, and continued hesitantly.

"It's not exactly...legal."

"Oh." Marie dropped the subject and set on looking out the window.

As the skyscrapers started to disperse, they were on the road toward the Narrows. That was the most dangerous part of the city, where abandoned warehouses hosted criminals, and the few occupied apartments were full of alcoholics, druggies, and possibly the scariest people in the city. However, there was not a soul to be seen, and because of the narrow streets shadows danced everywhere.

Before long, her father pulled over onto a curb, where several other cars had been parked.

"How many people are here?"

"Nine." he answered simply. "Get out of the car and keep your head down."

She did as she was instructed, rushing to get inside before something broke the strange silence. There was a dark grey door, and beside it a sign that had chipped red paint reading "Helen's Diner".

Her father ushered her inside, where she was met with a large room full of unused tables and chairs. It was filthy, and Marie coughed from the dust. "This way." Royce took her arm and led her down to a different part of the building.

This part was very different. It was cleaner, and bright lights shone above an operating table. Several people walked around with surgical masks, goggles, and scrubs. Their appearance caused her to panic at the fact they would be cutting her open in a matter of minutes.

"Hello Marie." said a voice. She turned behind her, expecting another doctor, but instead was met with a man in a suit. He was foreign, with darker skin and hair and the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen.

"Dr. Yasin!" she said in relief. "I was worried that-"

"Come with me." he interrupted. Feeling very much like a dog on a leash, Marie trailed after him. She turned to see her father putting on scrubs over his pants and tying them before putting a cap over his head.

Dr. Yasin led her down another brightly lit hallway. This time they were in the kitchen, where bugs crawled over surfaces and unused pots and pans littered the counters. Marie retched at the sight.

"Marie, this is for you." he held out a hospital gown. "It ties in the front so we can reach your chest. Please take off all of your clothes underneath the blanket, however you may where these surgical socks." he handed her a pair. It felt weird, considering the serious circumstances, for him to say 'socks'.

"Okay." she took the socks from his hand.

"Have you eaten before today?"

"Yeah, I had a bannana this morning-"

"Okay. We're going to have to wait to perform the surgery for twelve hours. Until then, we're going to review to ensure that you are protected and safe, and I'm afraid I'll have to keep you in here until then."

He motioned to a large walk-in fridge.

"What? Twelve hours in that thing?" she breathed in horror. "That's-no-absoloutely not."

"Then you can let the disease spread, grow throughout your body and kill you slowly. Do you understand?"

"Yes-god-okay, okay." she took the gown from him, quaking in terror.

He shut the door behind her and turned on the lights, illuminating the dusty pots and bowls. All the food in here was gone, but the door hadn't been open for a long time, so no bugs were in it. The floor had already been cleaned, but there was a slight chill. She shook, rubbing her arms for comfort.

After she had changed, the cold had gotten to her. The gown offered no protection, and she had wrapped her jeans around her shoulders for comfort. It didn't supply much.

For what felt like years, she waited. There was nothing to do to pass the time but sit still and wonder what the hell they were doing to her. She traced the lines on her chest.

Finally, a woman opened the door to the fridge. Marie looked up at her in relief, reaching out toward her like she was sent from heaven. Instead, she helped her up and led her back to the room with the operating table.

Now, six people were gathered around the table, and the eyes behind their goggles looked at her in anticipation. Marie went to lie down, staring at the flourescent bulb above her.

"Just breathe, Marie..." said a male voice.

"Dad?" she asked. "Dad!" her voice grew panicked. Suddenly, adrenaline coursed through her veins, and restraints were being placed on her wrists. "DAD!" she screamed. "DAD! HELP ME! PLEASE!" sob escaped her lips before the put her under.

When she woke up she would be a very different person.

**-IX-**

Edward couldn't wait to leave.

He knew that he wouldn't miss it here. His father hadn't changed, the area was nothing but a place full of idiots, and he would finally be able to amount for something. Using his brain to figure out who murderers were and getting attention for it was a dream come true. And of course, he couldn't wait to learn about how to fingerprint someone or analyze data and how to use a gun. His face lit up at the idea of him handcuffing someone with tattoos all over their arms and a shaved head. It was that picture in his head that kept him going through some days.

Right now, he was standing in his room, packing. It was almost done, every item he figured he might need for college was in his bag, and now he was just piling in clothes. When the last bag was full, he heard a rapping at his door. When he turned, he saw his mother. Her red hair and thin frame made it easy to see where he got his appearance from. But unlike her son, she wasn't standing tall. Her back was hunched and she breathed heavily, and her skin was placid. Despite that, she smiled at him and looked around his room.

"I can't believe you're leaving." she whispered.

"You shouldn't be out of bed, mom. You need to rest, dad'll be home soon." Edward said, looking at her anxiously. She shrugged it off and looked around the now empty room.

"Edward...my beautiful boy..." she went to sit on his bed, which was a simple white mattress now. Edward sat beside her. Her arm went to his for support. She coughed weekly and Edward flinched. "Remember to write." she whispered. "And to come home to check on me."

"I promise to." he swore.

"And keep up with those riddles you've been telling me." she coughed. "I enjoy them, and if you need a way to break the ice, just come up with a bunch of riddles on the spot." she advised him. "And Eddie, I love you."

"I love you to, Mom." he choked out. A small part of him was aware she wasn't going to see him graduate college, or become a famous detective. Hell, he had never even brought a girl home. She stood and went back to her room she shared with Edward's father. He finished packing the last bag and looked around his room.

The only thing left were a few books and the shelf above his bed. Edward stood on the mattress to look at the items on it. There was a model of a skyscraper he had whittled, a craft learned from a book in the library. There was a framed photo of his mother when she was younger, holding a baby Edward and laughing.

He removed the picture from its frame and put it in his wallet. Without a glance around the room, he grabbed his bags and prepared to never look back.

-**IX**-

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**Kind of disappointed that I didn't get any reviews, but I WILL PREVAIL! **


	4. Numb

Marie blinked her eyes open.

"Marie?" a voice asked. "Marie?"

She sat up. Her surroundings were incredibly simple. White walls, a white cot, and a large window against the far side of the room. The entire room was padded, and when she looked down at her body she realized she was wearing white.

Desperate to know, she tore open the first button of her shirt and glanced down at her chest.

A large 'X' replaced where the disease once was-etched into her skin as a permanent scar. Marie breathed a sigh of relief. But it wasn't before she noticed that her arm had an identical X on it.

To her horror, she discovered the marks all over her body. Two at her elbows, her knees and her upper thighs. When she experimentally pressed a hand against her skin, she felt a suspicious lump underneath the X's, as if there were something inside of her.

When she went back to observing her chest, she noticed that at the center of the X was a small bulb, and it began to flash. It blinked several times before Marie felt something begin to whir underneath her skin. She panicked and ran to the window, banging on it before she fell to the floor, limp.

"Is she-" James asked, not wanting to complete the question. Behind the window eight people stood. They had made several notes while watching her, until she had collapsed like a puppet that had had her strings cut.

"No. Watch." Royce commanded him. After a good minute, Marie finally stood up. She held herself tall, and a blank expression was planted on her face.

"Tell her to do something." a person whispered. The second it was said, Marie began to speak.

"P.U.P.P.E.T, ready for duty." she reported. The area behind the mirror exploded with noise as the group cheered and patted each other on the back. Royce pulled a walkie-talkie from his coat and muttered a command into it.

"Affirmative." the voice said. Marie started to frantically look around her surroundings, until she found the door and opened it. She walked with an erect trance and eventually made it to where the doctors were.

"Of course," Royce whispered, "We'll have to run tests. But...I confess, I'm very pleased. This technology...the possibilities are endless."

He turned to the doctors and yelled, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I GIVE TO YOU-THE POSITRONIC UNIT PROGRAMMED FOR PEACEKEEPING AND TROUBLESHOOTING! MS. MARIE ALDRICH-"

Royce paused for dramatic effect. He had always been a good speaker.

"The first, fully commandable human being. The first P.U.P.P.E.T."

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**Thank you again for reviewing! On another note, who's excited to see the Dark Knight Rises? Who has midnight tickets already?**

**Who ELSE is dressing up? :D **


	5. Home

**Ah! Sorry for the delay guys. This chapter is longer than the last one. It takes a VERY dark turn, just warning you ahead of time.**

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******Summer, 1998**

Royce helped Marie into his car. She wore a thin hospital gown, and he shut the door before turning to the eight people who looked at him with relief and success in their eyes.

"We'll be watching from a camera in her eye," explained Dr. Morrison. "Making sure that everything plays out okay. If anything goes wrong, we will be prepared to take drastic measures. But she should be fine."

"Of course." Royce said. He brought his friend in for an embrace, tightly gripping his arms. "Thank you."

His words were full of promise, and he turned to the other eight and said it to them each individually. Finally, he walked around to the driver's side. Marie continued to look around as if she had never seen the car before, attempting to absorb everything inside.

"Marie?" her father asked her, going to clutch her hand. She looked up at him with a questioning look, as if she were prepared to do something. Her body tensed, and he shook his head and went to driving. She would be fine, they said. Give it a week.

The drive home felt longer than it actually was. Marie remained calm and unresponsive. He guessed she was tired, they had been running tests on her all day. By the time they pulled into the Aldrich Estate, she was asleep in the front seat of the car. Royce walked around and looked at his daughter, wondering if he should carry her or wake her up.

He decided to carry her, not knowing when he would get the chance again. Her body felt too light in his arms, and she shook from the slight drizzle over their driveway. Terrance ran out of the house and stared at her, panic flooding into his face.

"You found her, Master Aldrich?"

Oh right. Marie had gone 'missing' yesterday, and he had told his wife he would be looking for her. As far as the world was concerned, she had disappeared off the face of the earth.

"Yes. She's asleep right now, I'm just going to take her to bed."

"Where did you find her, sir?" Terrance asked.

"A few miles down the road, I intend to ask her about it when she wakes up. She was babbling when I found her, and she fell asleep in the car. Something about a man cutting her." he motioned to the scars on her arms. He had to give himself credit for thinking of a lie so believable beforehand.

"Will she need medical attention, sir?"

"I'll check it out in the morning. Right now, she just needs her bed."

Terrance nodded and opened the door to the main house for him. Royce walked slowly, careful not to wake her. He had done it hundreds of times before; carrying a sleeping daughter was routine for him.

He reached her room and laid her in bed, kissing her forehead before exiting.

Emily was waiting outside the door, and she turned to look into the room. She sobbed at the sight of Marie lying in her bed, who in her eyes was dreaming peacefully.

"Oh, thank god." She said. "Where-what-details." she commanded. Royce pulled her into an embrace, stroking her back until she calmed down and her shaking subsided.

"She was a couple of miles away from the house, babbling about a man cutting her. She has scars; I'll treat them in the morning. Right now she just needs sleep."

"Of course." Emily said. She leaned into her husband again, her tears staining the front of his shirt.

* * *

When Marie woke up, there were people sitting on her bed. Directly beside her, her mother sat with a relieved smile on her face. Damian was at the end of the bed, and her father stood behind her mother.

"Marie." her mother embraced her. "Don't do that to me ever again."

"I won't do that to you ever again." her voice came out in a monotone, and her mother pulled away to look at her worriedly.

"Royce...?" she trailed off. Marie sat up and looked at them both, her face bare of any emotion.

"What is it?" Royce asked. Emily looked at her daughter with panic.

"Marie?" she asked. "How are you?"

"I feel nervous because of yesterday, but I'm fine." she responded in the same flat tone.

Royce backed away nervously, and his wife stood. She drew herself up to her full height, green eyes flaming.

"Emily-"

"_What's wrong with her_?" she almost screeched. He backed up to the wall, where a few pictures of her friends fluttered against the perfectly white walls. Holding out his hands, he frantically attempted to think up another lie, but he was no Loki.

He stuttered, and Emily turned to her daughter again. She hadn't changed from her position on the bed. Damian had gone up to his sister and waved a hand in front of her face, attempting to get her attention. Instead she shoved it out of the way and stood to hold her mother back.

"Stop." she commanded. Her mother struggled against her hold, in the process noticing the side of Marie's head.

There was a large 'X' traced into her skin, and underneath a bump that looked almost like a tumor, had it not been so perfectly shaped. Emily pressed on it gently, and Marie suddenly let go of her and shoved a hand to her head in pain.

"Why are there scars?" Emily asked. Marie kept holding a hand to the side of her head, moaning and writhing in pain on the floor. Damian backed up to the door, panic growing in his features.

For a long time no one spoke. Emily and her son were hesitant to hear his answer, and unsure if he was going to give one at all.

"Puppet." Royce said finally. Marie turned as if he had mentioned her name, and when she realized what Royce was doing panicked. Her body writhed even more, and she tried to get up several times but kept failing.

"I...made her into a human puppet." he explained. "She was dying, so I implanted wires into her body to help fight the disease. It was a perfect opportunity to try out a procedure I had been working on...one that would give us control of the human body." he cleared his throat. "Others had their reasons. They wanted a sort of super-soldier, and since Marie was dying and we had no other choice, she was the first that we tried it out on."

Emily's jaw dropped, and she looked at Marie, who was still shaking on the floor, moaning with her head in her hands.

"So...she's completely under your control?" Emily asked.

"Yes." Royce answered.

They were both silent, Emily trying to fit all the pieces together in her head. It made sense, but the anger she felt was overwhelmed with the feeling of relief that her daughter was okay. Damian finally broke the silence.

"Can...can she hear us?"

Royce nodded. "She can see and hear everything...but she just can't feel it. She lacks emotion."

"Pain?" Damian asked. "Can she feel pain?"

"Only over the parts where there's wires." he answered. "The wires are what controls her, and because of that she's vulnerable over those areas."

They stared at her for a few more minutes until Marie stood up and walked out of the room. The family followed her uncertainly as she descended the steps to the kitchen.

She was frantically throwing open drawers and cupboards, searching for something. Royce panicked, because she held up a large chef's knife.

"Her death will be necessary in the operation." she said in monotone. Royce roared angrily, attempting to grab her and stop her. Emily gasped, and Damian threw himself in front of her.

"_NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_" Royce screamed. Marie struggled with him briefly before shoving him to the floor. Her mother stood quaking, mostly covered by Damian's arms.

Emily watched as her daughter moved, and she saw it almost in slow motion. The struggle between Royce and Marie was over quickly, and she watched, terrified as Marie made her way towards her.

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized she was going to die by the hand of this monster. She did not see Marie Aldrich. She didn't see the girl she had given birth to, nurtured, loved, or watched grow up. Emily saw no recollection of the girl who would blush. Marie Aldrich would cry, love, giggle…and she couldn't even see her smiling.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Aldrich." Marie droned. "But it seems that in light of recent events, your life must be taken as a benefit to the P.U.P.P.E.T. operation."

She shoved her brother aside, and grabbed her mother's shoulder before plunging the knife into her lower abdomen.

Emily let out a scream once before falling, and Royce and Damian made similar sounds. Marie didn't even blink as she lay on top of her mother and cut her throat.

* * *

**This one was hard to write...sorry for the delay. I sobbed at TDKR. Like a baby. This is one of the darkest points in the story, but there are many more. I'll try to add some humor to lighten it up.**


	6. Unveiling

-Chapter 6-

Royce Aldrich would try to forget the horrors of what his daughter was when she was a unit. The things she did and said, and the things she didn't do were memories he would've preferred forgotten. His life had changed drastically. Emily was gone. His daughter was less than a human.

Marie wouldn't remember her time as a puppet.

There were flashes here and there, the occasional object or scene that didn't make sense in her head. Time didn't exist, feelings didn't exist. She was just an empty shell. Royce realized she was less than human, far before his companions did. And by that time, they were obsessed with her.

"She's beneficial to us." they argued with him. "We need her."

No matter what he said, it always ended with something along the lines of, "If we take the wires out, your daughter will die."

The nine people controlled her from a computer board back where she had the surgery done. The entilted themselves 'Station'.

The system was very hard to beat. Marie responded to the commands only of the Station, and they got their information by someone who was working with her. Walkie talkies were used until they figured out how to wire a camera into Marie's eye, which increased her work dramatically. She was able to go out alone at night, and Station could keep a permanant watch on her.

The work was difficult, but she performed perfectly for their needs. They never lost control of her, and didn't even have to pay her.

He confronted them one day, determined to get what he wanted.

"I don't want her like this." he told them over a cold metal table. Marie sat beside him, a distant look in her clouded grey eyes.

"The P.U.P.P.E.T. Unit has been a great benefit to society. She isn't dead, Royce. Is that enough?"

"She's practically dead." he disagreed. "I don't understand, why can't we just turn them off?"

"If we turn them off, she'll die. You know that."

"Just try." he begged. "Just once."

Station voted on it, and to his pleasure the odds were in his favor.

They locked her back in her room, where the white walls were completely sterile. The one way mirror blocked all eight people, one upstairs ready to turn off the button.

"Shutting off in five."

The lights were bright on the other side, and Marie stood erect in the middle of the room while the countdown sounded. She heard it, and in her head the voices dulled down.

"One."

All of the sudden, she felt her body hit the ground. She felt the pain of the floor hitting her knees, she felt the slack of her shoulders.

"Vitals are holding. Blood pressure is the same." the intercom said. "Heartbeat is quickening."

She began to panic, turning her head around the room in a frantic search for the door. All she saw were two gigantic mirrors taking up one side of the wall.

"H-hello?" she pleaded. On the other side, a tear fell down Royce's face as he watched his daughter's face cloud with confusion.

"HELP!" she screamed. What was going on? "HELLO!"

All of the sudden, she stopped moving and focused on what was happening. She looked down at her body. It was scarred but fit, and she silently wondered what had happened to it. Her eyes closed, and her heartbeat remained fast. Royce flinched.

"She's remembering." a doctor breathed.

Marie's eyes flashed open, and she ran to the mirror. She stared at her bald head and the two scars splitting deap into her brain. A terrifying scream of rage split the silence, and the station lept into action.

"SHUT IT OFF!"

"STOP IT!"

They were panicking so much that only Royce caught the last of her movements. Before the wires turned on, she turned and looked into the glass, her left eye a red dot of a camera.

Her eyes met his, and even though they could not see his he _knew_ she was looking right at him. A slight chuckle rippled her frame, a finally she mouthed one word.

"_Monster_."

-IX-

"You are all going out into the world as individuals."

Edward leaned back on the lawn chair, his glasses sliding down his nose from the sweat on his face. The campus was blazing hot, and everyone beside him fanned themselves with the program. His name was listed in there, with several prestigious nominations starred beside it.

_Are we really? Are we individuals now? Thank you, Mr. Dean. Thank you SO much._

He yawned, and a few rows away Deedee winked at him. He gave a tiny wave back, barely noticeable to anyone around him.

Finally, FINALLY, the Dean said something final, and people around him threw up their caps and cheered. Edward slunk away, reminded of his high school graduation. He clutched his diploma tightly in his hands while he moved through the crowds of people.

"Eddie!"

He turned to see his mother, tightly gripping a cane in her hand. Beside her was his father, who looked ready to shoot something.

"Mom!" he smiled at her. She shoved a camera into her husband's hands and demanded a picture of her and her 'little boy'.

Eddie smiled sheepishly, holding his diploma in front of him while he mother gripped his arm tightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Eddie." she whispered. "How about dinner?"

Edward turned to his father, who was gripping the camera tightly in his hands. His mother kissed his cheek and asked her where his car was so they could all go together.

"This way, Mom." he motioned not too far away, and she seemed relieved of the short distance.

They ended up going to Applebee's, where she interrogated him with questions of what he was going to do.

He stared down at his burger and french fries, barely touched. Across from him his father shovelled food into his mouth, some of it dripping down onto his grey beard. It was a repulsive sight.

"Well, Gotham City police department is hiring now, and that will take about a year to get into and train for. Then after three years of being on the force, I'll get a specialty position." he explained as simply as he could. His mother nodded.

"I'm so proud of you." she whispered. Edward smiled at her, warmth filling his chest. It made almost everything worth those words, to know that he at least had appeased his mother.

Even if she wouldn't see him become a police officer, he had the knowledge that in her eyes, he was perfect.

And that was perfectly fine with him.


End file.
